Inside the PD: Heritage back commits to JMU

Heritage RB Khalid Abdullah

Heritage tailback Khalid Abdullah, the Peninsula District Offensive Player of the Year in 2012, committed to James Madison Friday night.

Abdullah gave his commitment to JMU running backs coach Ulrick Edmonds, who came by for an in-home visit Friday. The Dukes were Abdullah’s only offer, though Old Dominion and Morgan State were showing interest.

"They did offer me -- they took a chance on me, and I respect that," Abdullah said. "A lot of schools passed me up, so that was a big factor. And a huge factor was that when I went up to visit, everyone there wanted me to be successful. It’s just a great atmosphere to be in.

“I feel blessed to be in a position to play at the next level. It’s an opportunity a lot of people don’t get. And no matter the school, it’s a college education. If I don’t make the NFL, I’ll leave with a degree from a great school in JMU.”

Abdullah, 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, rushed for 1,611 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Hurricanes, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2007. He led the district with 1,555 yards through the regular season.

Abdullah also scored two touchdowns on kick returns.

“He did a lot of things for us this year,” Heritage coach George Massenburg said. “He was a workhorse for this team. His year shocked everybody, including me at one point. But after the third game, we knew he was going to have a great year.

“He has a great work ethic, this year more than ever. I’m just happy he has the opportunity to go to school and get an education.”

Abdullah became the second Peninsula District tailback to commit to James Madison in the last two weeks. Warwick’s Cardon Johnson, a close friend of Abdullah’s committed Nov. 19.

“That’s really awesome,” Abdullah said. “A lot of people will have to watch out for that. I’m sure they’ll figure out a way for us both to be on the field at the same time. We can both score touchdowns.”